As battery storage scales, the way these assets are managed is evolving rapidly. From individual distributed batteries to large aggregated portfolios, the energy system is beginning to tap into their full flexibility and value. Aggregation services act as the bridge, optimising performance, enabling participation in energy markets, and supporting grid stability. This fireside chat will explore how aggregation transforms dispersed assets into strategic tools, the commercial and technical challenges involved, and what the future holds for battery asset management. Attendees will gain insight into how aggregation is shaping the next generation of energy systems. 

Discussion Points:

How do aggregation services unlock value for distributed battery assets? 

What technical and market challenges are faced when managing aggregated storage? 

How will the role of aggregated batteries evolve in future energy systems? 

Meeting future energy demands will require a diverse portfolio of long-duration storage technologies. With global needs expected to grow 15-fold by 2030, options such as flow batteries, pumped hydro, compressed air, and thermal storage all offer unique benefits—from stabilising the grid to powering remote locations. The challenge lies in identifying the right technologies for the right contexts, while addressing barriers around cost, efficiency, and infrastructure. Choosing the right mix will be critical to building a resilient, low-carbon energy system.

Discussion Points:

Why must we look beyond lithium-ion for long-duration storage?

What alternative technologies are showing the most promise?

How can different storage solutions be best matched to specific applications?

In 2026, digitalisation has become one of the most effective tools for reducing energy demand without compromising comfort, productivity or reliability. AI, real time system visibility and automated decision making are now reshaping how energy is generated, distributed and consumed across the UK.  

  Rather than simply collecting data, energy providers are beginning to translate insights into action. This includes predicting peaks before they occur, targeting inefficiencies at asset and user level, and delivering personalised interventions to households and businesses. With over 30 million homes and a diverse commercial landscape connected to digital platforms, success increasingly depends on trust, simplicity and relevance.  

This session explores how the energy sector can move beyond experimentation and embed digital tools at scale. It will examine what is working in 2026, where adoption is stalling, and how data sharing, AI and user engagement can combine to deliver measurable reductions in energy use while strengthening system resilience.  

Discussion Points:  

What does effective user engagement look like for commercial verses industrial customers 

How can AI help reduce demand and system stress before it occurs 

What role does trusted data sharing play in unlocking system wide efficiency 

How do we turn increasingly granular consumption data into practical, scalable action 

Hydrogen is often touted as a cornerstone of the UK’s net-zero ambitions, but how realistic is its role today? This session examines where hydrogen can genuinely add value across sectors, from industry to transport, and explores the practical barriers to large-scale adoption, including cost, infrastructure, and safety. We’ll discuss whether current policy and investment targets are achievable, and whether hydrogen should complement electrification and battery storage—or is being oversold as a silver bullet. Join experts as they separate hype from reality and chart a pragmatic path for hydrogen in the UK energy mix. 

Discussion Points:  

Where does hydrogen realistically fit into the UK energy system, and which sectors stand to benefit most? 

What are the main barriers to large-scale hydrogen adoption, including costs, infrastructure, and safety? 

How should policy and investment shape hydrogen’s future – are current targets realistic? 

Should hydrogen complement electrification and battery storage, or is it being treated as a silver bullet? 

Electrification is inevitable, but it needs new thinking to succeed at scale. Batteries are at the heart of that shift. They make clean power available where and when it is needed, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and bring flexibility to an energy system under pressure. Supported by smarter control and clearer insight, batteries are moving from supporting actors to essential infrastructure. This session explores the bigger picture: how batteries are reshaping the way we generate, use, and value energy, and why they matter to the future of the transition.  

Discussion Points:   

What role do batteries play in shaping the future energy system?  

How do batteries change the way we think about reliability, flexibility, and power access?  

Why are batteries becoming central to decarbonisation, not just supportive technology?  

What does success look like for batteries in the next phase of the energy transition?  

How can industry accelerate adoption with confidence and clarity?  

Meeting the UK’s 2030 energy ambitions may require a significant acceleration in grid connections, underscoring the importance of stronger collaboration between Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), developers, and Independent Connection Providers (ICPs). Current approval processes and extended timelines at the DNO-developer-ICP interface often slow project delivery. Updating regulatory frameworks to enable quicker, more flexible asset connections will be essential to closing these gaps.   

This session will explore key challenges and highlight collaborative approaches and innovative technologies that can streamline connections, enhance stakeholder alignment, and drive progress toward a more responsive, future-ready grid.  

Discussion Points:   

What are the main bottlenecks in the DNO-developer-ICP process, and how can they be resolved to speed up grid connections?

How can policy and regulatory frameworks evolve to support faster, more flexible asset connection timelines?

Which collaborative approaches and technologies can best align DNOs, developers, and ICPs to achieve 2030 energy goals? 

What are the main procurement / resource issues that are causing delays within DNOs / ICPs contractors. 

What emerging technologies are helping accelerate renewable connections how can these be further leveraged. 

The Worthing Heat Network represents a bold step toward decarbonising local energy systems and reducing reliance on fossil fuels for heating. By connecting homes, businesses, and public buildings to a centralised heat source, the network optimises efficiency, lowers emissions, and creates opportunities for flexible energy management. This fireside chat will explore the planning, implementation, and operational experiences of the Worthing Heat Network, highlighting both challenges and successes. Attendees will gain insight into how district heating schemes can transform local energy landscapes, support sustainability goals, and play a critical role in the UK’s transition to net zero. 

Discussion Points:

What have been the key challenges in implementing the Worthing Heat Network? 

How does the network deliver both carbon savings and efficiency gains? 

What lessons from Worthing can inform future district heating projects in the UK? 

Sizing and specifying commercial solar systems demands more than technical calculations—it requires balancing performance, compliance, and real-world constraints.   

Drawing on 30MW+ of delivered projects, Nick explores how Your Eco engineers systems that maximise yield whilst navigating structural complexities, grid connection timelines, and evolving regulatory landscapes. From bifacial panel selection and SolarEdge module-level optimisation to hurricane-proofing and supply chain traceability, this session reveals the engineering decisions that separate high-performing installations from underperforming assets.   

Discover how thoughtful specification drives both profitability and sustainability outcomes.  

Discussion Points:   

Module-level monitoring and optimisation—maximising energy yield through intelligent inverter technology and real-time performance tracking across complex roof geometries  

Structural and grid integration challenges—navigating DNO approvals, roof loadings, and hurricane-resilient design without compromising efficiency or timelines  

End-to-end system reliability—specifying components with traceable supply chains, 25–30-year warranties, and full recyclability to deliver long-term value and sustainability 

As the UK’s energy system becomes increasingly renewable, operational flexibility is critical to balancing supply and demand. This panel explores how technology, network design, and real-world innovation are delivering practical solutions. Experts will discuss the technical and operational challenges of integrating flexible resources, from system control to network management, and highlight the innovations driving a more adaptable energy system. 

Discussion Points: 

What are the main technical and operational barriers to system flexibility, and which emerging solutions are most promising? 

How can networks and system operators better integrate flexible resources alongside renewables? 

What role do digital tools, automation, and data play in enabling a responsive energy system? 

How are practical innovations translating into measurable system improvements today? 

As cities and towns aim for cleaner, more resilient energy systems, heat networks are evolving beyond traditional heating. This session explores how integrated networks can combine heating, cooling, and electricity, leverage waste heat, and use thermal storage to improve flexibility and reliability. Panelists will discuss the role of heat networks in balancing renewable energy, managing grid fluctuations, and creating new revenue streams. Attendees will gain insight into innovative technologies, effective funding models, and scalable strategies that make heat networks affordable, efficient, and sustainable, providing practical solutions for decarbonising local energy systems.   

Discussion Points:    

How can heat networks integrate heating, cooling, and electricity efficiently?   

How can waste heat, thermal storage, and flexible technologies improve network reliability?   

How can heat networks support renewable energy integration and manage grid fluctuations? 

What business models and funding strategies can make heat networks scalable and affordable?   

Market access is a significant problem for both small suppliers and small consumers of renewable energy. Instruments like PPAs and RECs are often designed with large consumers and producers in mind. AI platforms now combine real-time monitoring, flexible trading and hourly-matched procurement. Opening up market access to small exporters could boost income by thousands each year, further improving the business case for renewables. With expected 2027 scope 2 guidance advising hourly matching, it is the right time for AI to step up and automate compliance, combat greenwashing, and level the field for equitable decarbonisation. This empowers smaller greener players in the UK’s flexible energy transition. 

This panel explores the evolving role of community energy within a more decentralised and flexible energy system, where energy storage is becoming increasingly critical. As the boundaries between community energy and wider local energy initiatives begin to blur, the discussion will examine what still defines genuine community ownership and why it matters. Panellists will consider how national bodies such as GB Energy, Ofgem and DESNZ can better enable community led projects through supportive regulation and policy frameworks. The session will also explore how community energy projects, including those integrating storage, can maximise social and economic value, from tackling fuel poverty to unlocking local investment and engagement.

Discussion Points:

How is community energy evolving in a more decentralised, flexible system, and how does it differ from wider “local energy” models?

As local generation increasingly integrates energy storage, are the boundaries between community and other local energy approaches blurring, or does community ownership still matter?

What role should GB Energy, Ofgem and DESNZ play in enabling community energy projects, including those using storage, to scale and provide system flexibility?

How can regulation better support grassroots innovation?

How can community energy projects maximise social and economic value, from tackling fuel poverty to unlocking local investment, engagement and resilience? 

This session will explore how specialist banks can provide access to capital for SMEs and Corporate Businesses looking to finance energy generation and storage projects as an alternative to mainstream lenders. 

Discussion Points:  

Discover the differences between asset finance and project finance. 

What makes a renewable energy project bankable? 

Case studies: how specialist banks can support your business’s financial goals. 

Unlocking the full potential of flexibility requires more than technology — it demands the right market structures and regulatory frameworks. This panel explores how policy, regulation, and commercial incentives can accelerate the integration of flexible resources, create value for new and existing technologies, and ensure a reliable, cost-effective renewable energy system. 

Discussion Points: 

How can market design evolve to properly value flexibility services and incentivise both new and existing resources? 

In what ways should policy and regulation adapt to support flexible technologies while maintaining reliability and cost-effectiveness? 

What role do demand-side response, long-duration storage, and commercial innovation play in shaping the energy transition? 

How can regulators and industry collaborate to create predictable, investment-friendly frameworks for flexibility?

42% of power transformer failures occur inside the main tank and are detectable by dissolved gas analysis (DGA), making DGA the number one diagnostic tool for at-risk transformers. However, conventional interpretation methods focus on gas thresholds rather than true failure risk. Many transformers fail before reaching these limits, while others operate for years with elevated gases. Instead, statistical reliability modeling offers a more scientific, data-driven framework for failure prediction. Based on a study of over 15,000 operational units and 300 failure cases, we compare traditional DGA interpretation to reliability-based approaches that better inform maintenance decisions, reduce uncertainty, and improve asset management. 

Discussion Questions:  

What makes conventional DGA interpretation unreliable in certain real-world cases? 

How might Reliability-based DGA change asset replacement or monitoring strategies? 

What role does statistical failure data play in prioritizing transformers for maintenance or replacement? 

This keynote explores the evolving role of Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNOs) in enabling the UK’s transition to a more decentralised, flexible and resilient energy system. Drawing on experience establishing a new IDNO within the E.ON group, the session examines how alternative network models can support the rapid integration of distributed energy resources, energy storage and flexible connections. 

The talk focuses on practical lessons from network delivery, regulatory alignment and operational readiness, highlighting how flexibility-led approaches can reduce constraints, unlock capacity and improve customer outcomes. Attendees will gain insights into how network operators, technology providers and developers can better collaborate to meet rising demand, support electrification and deliver net-zero objectives in a rapidly changing energy landscape. 

The UK government funded industrial decarbonisation demonstrations in a range of industries from aluminium recycling, ceramics, glass manufacturing, food and drink, funeral care, and whiskey distilleries in 2023-2025. This session will focus on the lessons learned from trialling and testing the state-of-the-art technologies for industrial decarbonisation. 

This session explores how network operators and innovators are unlocking the value of data to deliver smarter, more efficient energy systems. It will highlight the latest advances in digitalisation, analytics, and IoT that are already transforming network performance and customer outcomes. Through real-world success stories, panellists will show how better use of data is improving reliability, enabling flexibility, and supporting communities and stakeholders. The discussion will also look ahead—examining how today’s progress can be scaled to create system-wide insights and long-term benefits across the energy ecosystem. 

Discussion Points: 

What are the latest advances in network data and digitalisation that are already delivering results? 

How is smarter use of data benefiting customers, communities, and stakeholders? 

What success stories show networks, innovators, and IoT technologies turning data into real-world impact? 

How can today’s momentum be scaled to create even greater system-wide insights and benefits? 

Connections reform is reshaping the energy sector at unprecedented speed, creating both winners and losers in the process. The challenge now is ensuring reform delivers not just faster processes, but fairer and smarter ones. This panel brings together practitioners and system planners at the heart of reform to discuss the realities of implementation, the progress made so far, and the next steps needed to unlock real capacity across the network. Expect an honest conversation about what’s working, what isn’t, and where innovation in data, coordination, and processes can make the biggest difference. 

Discussion Points:

Where has connections reform succeeded, and where are the bottlenecks still holding back progress?

How can speed, fairness, and transparency be balanced for developers, DNOs, and system planners?

What new approaches within DNOs and ESO are driving adaptability, and which could be scaled?

What role should data and system-wide coordination play in shaping the next phase of reform?

What lessons can we learn from early implementation, and which examples provide the clearest insights? 

As the race to Net Zero intensifies, finance is mobilizing becoming a central driver of sustainable growth in the energy sector. Green bonds, transition finance and other innovative instruments are directing capital towards decarbonisation projects — yet many organisations still struggle to access these funds. Complex regulation, perceived risk, and the challenge of demonstrating long-term returns often create barriers to investment.  

Asset finance, which leverages the value of project assets, offers a practical route to overcome these challenges. By providing more flexible and accessible funding options, it can help businesses scale their sustainability initiatives and accelerate the energy transition.  

This session will examine the evolving landscape of Net Zero finance, exploring how public and private investment can be unlocked to deliver a more sustainable energy future.  

Discussion Points:  

How can Net Zero finance drive business growth and sustainability across the energy sector?  

What are the main challenges in securing funding for decarbonisation, and how can asset finance help address them?  

What funding sources are available, and what strategies can unlock greater access to capital?  

NESO’s FES25 sets out a future power system with a changing mix of generation, storage and demand-side resources where maintenance security, operability and affordability require a portfolio of technologies with different operating characteristics. Alongside renewables, interconnection, storage and low-carbon dispachable plant, gaseous fuels continue to appear in NESO’s pathways as a source of controllable, storable energy that can be called on when needed. This session will explore NESO’s view on the role of biomethane and touch on related work NESO is undertaking. 

Discussion Points:

Based on FES25, what roles could biomethane play in the future power system? 

How is NESO currently treating biomethane across its various workstreams? 

Heat decarbonisation is a cross-cutting challenge to meeting the UK’s net zero goals. Clean Heat by 2040, and this panel, will explore how key actors can work together across the sector to ensure that the necessary skills, planning, investment, governance, and innovation are in place to support heat networks in playing a meaningful role in heat decarbonisation. 

As solar capacity grows, markets are experiencing “solar cannibalisation,” where midday solar generation depresses wholesale electricity prices, threatening the financial viability of new projects. This session explores the economic, regulatory, and technological strategies to mitigate revenue erosion and build sustainable income streams for solar developers. Participants will examine market design innovations, storage integration, and policy frameworks that support reliable returns while accelerating the energy transition.

Discussion Points:

How can market structures evolve to reduce solar cannibalisation?

What role can storage play in stabilising solar revenues?

Which policy mechanisms best ensure long-term project viability?

How can developers diversify revenue streams beyond wholesale electricity sales?

As renewable generation grows, the challenge is no longer producing clean energy but making sure it is available exactly when it is needed. This session explores how Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) allow wind and solar to reach their full potential by strengthening grid reliability, smoothing variability, and how they are fundamental in supporting a clean, home-grown energy system. Aimed at both sector specialists and those new to storage, the keynote goes back to the fundamentals of how BESS works, why it is indispensable for a modern energy system, and how it enables renewables to flourish in real-world conditions.

As grid-scale storage expands, intelligent software is becoming the key to unlocking its full potential. From real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance to optimising dispatch and market participation, integrated software platforms are redefining how storage assets perform and interact with the wider energy system. This session explores how developers, operators, and technology providers are collaborating to merge data, automation, and control systems into a unified digital layer. Panellists will discuss the opportunities and challenges of integration, the importance of interoperability, and how software innovation can deliver both technical and commercial gains for large-scale storage operators.  

Discussion Points:  

How does software integration boost performance and reliability in grid-scale storage?  

What’s the role of data analytics in optimisation and asset management?  

How can we achieve interoperability across diverse systems?  

Which business models and regulations enable software-driven optimisation 

As distribution networks become increasingly constrained, customers and investors need clarity, confidence and predictability. This keynote will demystify how National Grid’s DSO decisions are actively made today, from queue management and dispatch of flexibility to curtailment and risk management, and how data is being used to maximise the network. Drawing on real customer conversations, it will show how transparency around queue position, flexibility and asset management data is enabling faster connections, more secure operation and greater confidence in long-term revenue streams, supporting investment and whole-system outcomes. 

Discussion Points:  

How can we improve understanding of how connection and curtailment decisions affect investment outcomes? 

How can we increase confidence in the predictability of distribution level outcomes? 

How can we better support effective whole system collaboration? 

Many industrial sites struggle to find ways to decarbonise their process heat affordably. Fortunately, newer technologies have now reached the point where they can deliver cost savings compared to fossil fuels. Depending on the site’s requirements a combination of behind-the-meter solar, heat pumps, and Caldera’s electric thermal storage can deliver an optimal solution. This presentation will cover the advantages and limitations of each technology, and how to use them to deliver both carbon and cost reductions.

Discussion Points:    

Learn about routes to achieving partial or full decarbonisation of your process heat demand (whether steam or high temperature hot water).   

Learn how heat pumps and thermal storage can work together to displace fossil fuels and achieve optimum cost and carbon reductions.   

Learn about Caldera’s simple and unique Storage Boiler thermal storage system.   

Learn how the Caldera Storage Boiler can deliver a zero-carbon heat solution when combined with on-site renewables   

As energy storage moves from mid-scale demonstrations to utility-scale deployments, understanding key lessons from smaller projects is critical. This panel explores how insights from mid-scale storage can inform the planning, execution, and integration of mega-projects, ensuring maximum value across the grid. Experts will discuss strategies for managing technological, financial, and regulatory risks while scaling, and examine how different storage technologies can be optimally deployed at varying scales. Attendees will gain practical guidance on bridging the gap between pilot projects and large-scale energy storage solutions.

Discussion Points:

What lessons from mid-scale storage projects are most critical when planning and executing mega-scale deployments?

How can energy storage technologies be optimally integrated into the grid to maximise value across different scales?

What strategies help manage technological, financial, and regulatory risks when scaling from demonstration projects to utility-scale storage?

The increasing deployment of energy storage systems (ESS) globally requires a focus on understanding their hazards and ensuring reliable safety systems. Every ESS is unique in its dimensions, battery types, goals, location of11 deployment. Fike will present the dangers & causes of thermal runaway, an unpredictable fire hazard occurring in the lithium battery cells held in an ESS. Backed by years of internal test data, we’ll explore the various layered methods of protecting an ESS and more importantly nearby people that we recommend to mitigate the effects of thermal runaway, which may include fire, explosion and offgassing hazards. 

Discussion Points:  

Identify the causes and risks of thermal runaway  

Evaluate different various ESS scenarios and when certain protection methods are needed 

Implement best practices for safety system design

As the UK energy system becomes increasingly decentralised and dynamic, flexibility is emerging as a critical enabler of a secure, affordable, and Net Zero-ready grid. In this fireside chat, Dr Alastair Martin, Chief Strategy Officer, sits down with Dr Cathy McClay, Flexibility Commissioner at National Grid DSO, to explore the evolving role of flexibility in the UK power system. The discussion will examine the Commissioner’s priorities, the challenges of scaling flexibility markets, and how industry, networks, and consumers can work together to unlock system-wide value.

As the UK energy system evolves, the decision to retain a national market under REMA brings both opportunities and challenges for storage operators. This panel will explore how policy, flexibility targets, and investment considerations intersect to shape the future of energy storage. Industry leaders will discuss practical solutions, the role of distributed assets, and strategies to ensure the UK meets its energy and flexibility ambitions.

Discussion Points:

How will the national market reform impact storage investment, connection agreements, and non-firm access arrangements?

What role can distributed assets, such as electric bus fleets and virtual power plants, play in delivering the 11 GW flexibility target?

How can policy cohesion be improved across government to ensure that national market reforms support storage deployment and grid stability?